Lose fat and build muscle in 3 months; the right way.
August 10, 2020
There is a similar habit with people who see changes in body composition:
It usually takes about 3 months of solid effort. This effort includes:
Consistent, structured exercise (3-5X/Week)
Consistent, non-structured exercise (ie. walking, hiking, gardening)
Eating a balanced diet of whole foods, minimal alcohol and enjoying a treat here and there without over doing it
What does this look like after 3 months? Decreases in body fat, and increases in muscle mass.
Notice what I didn't include there?
Weight.
Your body weight will be relative to everything else: What you're wearing, what you ate, drank, if you exercised before or not, the weight of your bones, your blood and organs. Keeping a closer eye on body fat and overall muscle percentage is more important.
Here is the formula for you to see changes
1) Exercise a minimum of 3X/Week.
This should include some sort of strength/resistance training, as well as cardio based elements. All of our classes and training appointments at Degree ensure to include both.
2) Eat nutritious foods, include colour and lots of green. Ensure to hit your protein and drink lots of water!
We know that you know that, but why is it so hard? We need to eat to live, survive and thrive. It's easy to fall into convenience of highly processed foods full of unnecessary sugars and other fillers.
We encourage our members and clients to book a Nutrition Consultation with our Nutrition Coach, Mairead, so she can give you the appropriate information for your body, needs and wants.
3) Get some sleep!
We can't forget rest and recovery. This is when your body repairs muscle tissues, your stress levels drop and you re-boot for the next day.
Not getting enough sleep can lead to not seeing the changes you want, irritability and huge cravings during the day because your body is begging for some energy!
4) Trust the process and stick it out!
Had one bad workout? Ate the whole birthday cake? Don't let that de-rail you.
We all have amazing days where everything is on point, and we all have not so good days where it all seems to be falling apart. Give yourself time, and aim to have a just a few more good days. Then, eventually it will become a habit.
Ready to get started?
We have very limited spaces in our Group Classes, and have a limited amount of Personal Training spaces. Our clients and members know that if you put in the work, and are consistent, you'll get into the best shape of your life - happy and healthy!
Visit www.degreefitnessseaforth.com/get-started
or email info@degreefitnessseaforth.com
to book your free intro meeting to meet one of our Coaches and learn about how we can help you!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian What comes to mind when you think of meal prep? Is it just plain chicken with rice and broccoli? If you love that as your meal prep, great! But many people don't want to be stuck eating the same thing over and over, or don't want to be assembling full meals ahead of time. Maybe you just don't know what you'll want to eat tomorrow, let alone later this week! What if we made meal prep easier? Instead of making whole meals, what if we made components of meals that could be put together in any number of different ways. This would allow us to still get healthy meals on the table fast, but not have to eat the same thing! Check out these 4 super simple ideas for meal components you can prep ahead of time! 1. Raw veggies! Most of us know we should be eating more veggies, but often they're the afterthought of a meal. Try keeping some washed and chopped raw veggies on hand to pair with your meals with little effort! Even taking a few minutes to cut up some carrot sticks can make a difference! Want to make it even easier? Choose veggies that don't need any further prep, like baby carrots, mini peppers, baby cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. Or you can buy a pre-cut veggie tray! If the veggies are ready in the fridge, there's a better chance you'll eat them. 2. Proteins! Try cooking a bulk batch of a protein option or two that can be used in different ways. Cook chicken in your slow cooker and then use it for sandwiches, chicken salad, or stir-fry. Cook some ground meat on the stove and use it for pastas, burrito bowls, or tacos. Hard-boiled eggs can be quick snacks or top salads. Cooked beans can be used in place of any of these ideas! Want to make it even easier? Grab a cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and skip having to cook it yourself! Canned beans and fish are also low-prep options. 3. Whole grains! Whole grains bring in more fibre and nutrition than their more processed counterparts, but can take a smidge more prep. Try cooking up a pot of your favourite grain, like brown rice, quinoa, or barley. Use these to make a filling salad, to pair with a stir-fry, or for a bowl-style meal! To make it even easier, check out the microwaveable options in the grocery store. There are many low-prep whole grain options out there that can be ready in minutes! 4. A fun sauce! What makes a meal more satisfying? A sauce! And when our healthy food tastes good, we're more likely to eat it. Healthy fats from our sauces actually help us absorb more of certain vitamins from our vegetables and fruit! Try whipping up a quick homemade salad dressing, salsa, peanut sauce, hummus, or veggie dip. A quick internet search will give you thousands of recipes, or you can wing it and taste as you go! Meal prep doesn't have to be fancy and take a lot of time, and it doesn't have to mean boring meals! Try one of these super simple ideas to make healthy eating easier this week! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian So often we put off making changes in our health and fitness because it's just so overwhelming. There's so much information out there and it feels like we need to do everything at once! Making big changes like joining a gym or overhauling your diet can be intimidating, even if we know how beneficial they would be. What if instead, we just started somewhere, right now? It doesn't have to be big or flashy. What's the smallest move you could make in the right direction today? Will one small change solve all your problems? Probably not. But one small change leads to another and another. And small changes maintained over time do improve your health overall. It's always better to do something than nothing! Here's some small changes you could try today or tomorrow to get the ball rolling: Not drinking enough water? Aim for one or two glasses more today. Want to eat healthier? Add and extra serving of vegetables or fruit today. Worried about your protein intake? See if you can include a source of protein at your meals today. Want to get moving? Go for a 10 minute walk at whatever pace feels good. The point isn't to tackle everything at once. The goal is to just start moving things in the right direction as you work towards your goals! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!
Written By: Coach Sienna Training your body through exercise can provide more benefits than just improving your physical health. It can also support emotional wellbeing, mindset, mood and mental health! As much as working out can physically be tiring and challenging. It also challenges your mind which is just as good. Here is what is going on in your body when working out… Endorphins (happy, feel good hormones) Your body releases these when you are exercising and can impact how you feel. Example of this would be runners high. This happens when a release of these feel good chemicals occur during or after a workout. This happens biologically and is a mood elevator! Dopamine (motivation chemical) Is the brains reward chemical which also makes an appearance during exercise. This chemical affects your motivation and focus and overall sense of accomplishment and the “I can do anything!” Mentality. Serotonin (mood regulator) Serotonin helps balance your mood and keep you happy! Regular exercise can increase the production of this hormone.Overall change your day and even your life. Reduces Cortisol (stress hormone) Cortisol is our bodies stress hormone which can affect our mood negatively and make us feel like blah. During exercise this hormone is than kicked to the curb and replaced with our happy ones. Regular exercise can also help reduce this hormone over time overall leading a happy life. Confidence Since working out gives you a sense of accomplishment and that you did something hard. This can improve your confidence and help you release that you can do hard things. Confidence from a workout can help you flow into your work day with that same feeling and mindset. Movement as a Emotional Outlet Exercise can be hard and this can be a place to let out built up energy in your body instead of storing it. Maybe you had a hard week a work or something isn't working out in your favour. Exercise provides this outlet for these feelings and can help process them. Exercise is more than just a workout. You rewire your brain and change your mindset. It Improves your mood calming your nerves and provides an emotional outlet. Exercise isn't just for your physical health it also supports your mental health which is just as important! Ready to get moving? Book your Free Consultation by CLICKING HERE , or email us at info@degreefitnessseaforth.com to inquire.